Cheap Calling Card From Thailand To Us

[tjansen]

Hello,

I would like to use a cheap calling card that I can purchase online without going to a store, getting a SIM card, etc. I would be calling mainly from Thailand to the US. Right now I pay about 4 baht per minute with DTAC. I am hoping I can use a calling card with a local access number that would make for cheaper calls, including the pre-paid charge for using my cellphone, which I don't think is too bad for calls inside Thailand, for the access number.

When I lived in the US, I used Onesuite. I would dial an 800 number, enter my pin, then dial the number I was calling. It was a bit cumbersome, but worth the effort to save the money.

Thanks for any suggestions on this. (I had a previous post along this line, but I am still hoping for an online alternative.)

Edited January 22, 2011 by tjansen

[beano2274]

CAT Telecom card is quite good, have a look around your Local Mall and you will find them, they might have them in 7/11. Check the rates on the CAT website

[retiredusn]

Since you have a computer why not take a look at magic-jack.

[lomatopo]

This topic has come up many times, a search might yield additional information. These two are 1 baht/min or less to the U.S.

http://www.thaitelephone.com/EN/calling-card/thailand/catphonenet/index.php

http://www.deedial.com/web3/en/home.php

[kokesaat]

Phonenet cards are available from the international phone office. We call our daughter's mobile phone in Texas from either our home phone or our mobile phone for 1 baht per minute. You dial 1544 for free access (from either mobile or from home phone). You can buy subsequent cards and continue to use the same code. The card lasts for 1 year. 200, 300, 500, 1000 baht cards.

A 60 minute call to our daughter, crystal clear, costs $2. It doesn't use up our mobile minutes either.

[tjansen]

Thanks a lot for the quick replies. I settled on DeeDial, mostly because it was the first one I could figure out. When I started to go to what I think is the CAT website I got a warning from Norton that they could not verify the safety of the site. Being a bit paranoid about these things, I did not proceed to the site. When I followed the thaitelephonenet trail, I got to a page that told me to register for something that did not seem like the provider, and it did not give me an option. As for kokesaat's suggestion, I assume a 'phonenet' card is the CAT option. Is that correct? And I don't know what the international phone office is. I don't live in Bangkok, so maybe I can use that as an excuse for being unknowing in these matters.

As for the magic-jack, it looks very intriguing, and I might give it a go down the line, but I wasn't patient enough to dig into it at this time.

So, I signed up for DeeDial for what looks like 0.7 baht + VAT per minute calls to the Us, and their Customer Service desk told me to go to 7 11 to top up.

Thank you again for all of the help.

By the way, in case this is helpful, I discovered something useful about Skype, if it proves to be consistent. I use DTAC to connect to the Internet from my apartment. Skype to a cellphone is usually very choppy and not usable, but tonight I made a Skype to Skype call which was quite acceptable in quality (immediately after the choppy Skype to cell call.) This has happened twice, so I am hoping Skype to Skype will be an additional calling option for me.

Edited January 22, 2011 by tjansen

[Mrjlh]

Since you have computer...sign up for Skype! Two cents a min from Thailand to anywhere in the US. If person you call has Skype it's free. I've been using it for years. Only problem I've had was when the Thai Internet service was slow. Has video and a hell of a lot better than Magic Jack in my opinion.

[Thaigreg]

If you use a proxy server or VPN to US, try Google Talk, it's FREE.

Greg

[lomatopo]

So, I signed up for DeeDial for what looks like 0.7 baht + VAT per minute calls to the Us, and their Customer Service desk told me to go to 7 11 to top up.

How is the service? Call quality? Which format are you using; Direct Call? or Ringback? BTW, they have Android, iPhone, BB, Nokia mobile apps so that might make the calling process even more seamless.

A calling card offers much more flexibility, obviously as you are not tethered to your PC wherever that might be, than Magicjack (I am a long-time, satisfied user although it was moblie capable back when we could hack it and run it on an Android mobile phone , which offers free calling to the U.S. only, or Skype which again usually requires you be at your PC. Is anyone running Skype on an Android phone? If so, how is that? 2G? 3G? WiFi?

Edited January 22, 2011 by lomatopo

[lomatopo]

Edited to add: The CAT PhoneNET calling card does have the advantage of the free local access number, 1544 (or 001-800-8424-2273) so no local per-minute charges. DeeDial does have the ringback service which avoids any local calling charges.

For an easier solution, and for those who want to make a lot of calls from their mobile, Truemove do have the InterSIM, with 00600 calling (1 baht/min to the U.S.), and all Truemove SIMs can utilize the 006 prefix, 3 baht/min. to the U.S.

[crev]

You mentioned you used Onesuite before so I guess you still have an account with them. Just download a softphone and use it so you can call back US (landline or mobile) for just 2.5c per minute. Check out Onesuite Blog for options and detailed explanation for setting up softphones on your PC or mobile phones.

[tjansen]

I am back to give an update and to thank everyone for the replies to my request.

As I mentioned above, I ended up with DeeDial. Instead of 7 11, it is Se-Ed bookstore that handles the top up in my area. When I first tried the card, it was unusable because of being garbled. After a couple of calls to their customer service line, they did something to straighten it out. I just tried my first call, and it worked great, a slight echo on the other end, but really quite acceptable. It is 0.7 baht per minute with no other charges, which would come to a little more than $0.02 per minute

I just now saw the post about Onesuite. I might look into that just out of curiosity. I suppose my account is still alive.

I am glad someone mentioned that the callback feature eliminates the use of DTAC air time. I wasn't astute enough to catch that point, but I have been using it cause I think it is neat.

Tom